Warhound

Defense Tech · Biotech · Gene Editing

Launch

Warhound launches with $200M seed to clone gene-edited military dogs

Over 80% of America's military working dogs are imported from Europe, a shrinking supply chain the Pentagon is now racing to replace at home.

• Warhound emerged from stealth on October 22, 2026 with a $200 million seed round led by In-Q-Tel and Sequoia Capital, valuing the company at $1.2 billion.
• The company was conceived by Anduril founder Palmer Luckey and Colossal Biosciences CEO Ben Lamm, but day-to-day operations are run by CEO David Spirk, a former Marine and the Pentagon's former chief data officer.
• Using Colossal's gene-editing and cloning tech, Warhound is biobanking cells from top-performing Belgian Malinois and German Shepherds to eliminate inherited issues like hip dysplasia and enhance traits like scent detection, with first puppies expected in early 2027.
• Anduril will outfit the dogs with body armor, eye and ear protection, and integration with its Eagle Eye situational-awareness system, with Warhound exploring a 'Canine-as-a-Service' subscription model instead of selling dogs outright.
• More than 80% of U.S. military working dogs are currently bought from Europe, fewer than half complete training, and the Department of War's program runs over 2,200 dog teams.
• A Senate Armed Services Committee warning cited skyrocketing costs to procure dogs from a shrinking pool of European breeders, with the Pentagon bidding against foreign governments for limited animals.
• Warhound is likely the first defense-tech company to apply gene-editing and cloning, tools pioneered for de-extinction, directly to a biological military supply chain.